It's the little things . . .

Thursday, January 28, 2016

A few years ago, my friend Karen introduced me to a word I was not familiar with.  The word was lagniappe, a French word meaning "a little something extra," used mostly in the south.  For example, if you order a dozen donuts, lagniappe would be getting 13 donuts instead of 12!  Today is my day off and I thought I would share some of the little extra things that make being here at RMMC so special.

You never know who you are going to see here. This past weekend was Jr High snow camp with over 100 campers and their sponsors. My niece, Cynthia, told me her cousin was there as a sponsor and sure enough, I had a chance to meet him.

A selfie with a sweet kid from Hesston College who is the cousin once removed of my niece and the great nephew of my sister-in-law (got that?!).  My niece told him to look me up and give me a hug  and he did. . . made my day!!

After a weekend of helping in the kitchen to feed over 100 junior high kids and about 30 sponsors for snow camp, then cleaning all the spaces the day after they left, this was a fun treat (in more ways than one!) to make and dip buckeyes and pretzels for donors.  It was a sweet break!

 We took the boxes of chocolates to the little Divide, CO, post office and I saw something I had never seen at a post office before!

As a little girl on the farm, I remember getting chicks (peeps) in the mail.  But these were not peeps!  All at once I began to hear cackling coming out of the box!  The cowboy who was mailing them, complete with wide brimmed  cowboy hat and western drawl, said, "yep, them's my prize show chickens that I'm sendin' to California for a show." I didn't have the nerve to ask if I could take a picture of him but I did get one of the box  that cost $86.00 to send two pairs of chickens. to California! 

Here is a sign in our kitchen that makes me smile every time I see it.

Hopefully this does not apply to me!

This week one of the volunteers who was originally from "the valley" brought me something.

Those of you from PA will recognize this as the magazine from "the valley."  He also brought me a moon pie but Jonathan and I devoured that before I could get a picture of it.  YUM!

And here are some things I saw on my walk today.

Yep, more blue skies!

These two little cuties hang out in their mom's office sometimes.

I took this shot out our bedroom window.  This is Pleiades (prounounced plee-a-deez), the building that Jonathan is helping with, scheduled to be completed in May.  We have met many wonderful volunteers who come in from Kansas and all over Colorado to help finish the building. Last week there were two men in their 80's who hung lots of solid wood doors for two days.  I'm impressed with the loyalty and dedication people have to this camp.

And this is what greets me outside our apartment door every time I climb the hill and stairs to our apartment.  It makes me smile!  One more small detail that is lagniappe . . . no climbing into a cold car to go to work every day . . . I walk about 50 steps to work!

May your days be filled with lagniappe!

Betty

Snowshoeing! Another first adventure

Oops! This was initially an attempt to post from our 'smart'phone!  ... fail... Here's the post from our laptop:

Our first time snowshoeing: Awesome to see the mountains from different perspectives, to see evidence of animals in the undisturbed snow, and to enjoy outdoor winter activities together with new friends!  We can't wait to go again!

All decked out and ready to try snowshoeing at the camp on our day off!

Something so breathtakingly beautiful about Aspens, snow, and "That" Blue! (As Mary Yoder calls it.)

Jonathan & Dave Miller taking a break to admire the view towards Collegiate Peaks while climbing the steep hill along the Powerline break.

!

 Clearly we are adapting to the altitude: Not sure we'd have been able to climb this last week!

What an awesome God: to create us with the ability to enjoy such things as this!

What in the world made these tracks?!  A Mountain Lion?!  They were 10 ft apart, no clear prints, not very deep in the 18" snow, and curved to meet up with some different tracks (deer?) in a spot in the woods below. No evidence of blood, but clearly a tussle of some sort! Wow - We love snowshoeing!

Thanks to Dave Miller for showing us the "ropes"! (New friend, RMMC Board member, and volunteer! AND Big Valley roots to boot!)  I am understanding better why people are drawn to the mountains!

Livin' the Dream!

January 18, 2016

I (Betty) had the day off today and spent the day writing notes, doing a little art, and generally just relaxing.  It felt really good after a  busy weekend helping cook for a women's scrapbooking retreat.

Letters are fun to get!  If you wrote to me, expect a letter soon!

Here are some shots of the food we had this weekend.  I am having to go easy on all the delicious food!

Mary, the cook, with the 15 gallon mixer named Ick-a-bob!

Best cinnamon rolls ever!

Fruit kabobs stuck in half a purple cabbage.

I try to get a walk in every day.  The views and the altitude are breathtaking!  

Necessities for taking a walk: sunglasses, boots, chapstick, and lots of water.  Did I say sunglasses? For all my Indiana friends, that's because of all the sun . . . every day!  Vitamin D just by walking out the door!  And when the sun is out, it is warm, really warm.  Even though the temps may be in the 20's, all you need is a light jacket and a hat . . . and boots.

Here are some of the views I see on my walk:

Emmental Lodge

Blue, blue sky!   I just can't get enough of this blue sky.

Seeing all this natural beauty reminds me of a song:

"Creation is a song

A song that we can sing

A sacred gift from God

Let's join the harmony."

Jonathan still makes popcorn every Sunday night!

Jonathan's new ride . . . what he always wanted.  A four-wheel drive pickup with chains and a blade!

And last, but not least.  The camp has provided for all our needs except one thing: 

Margarine?!!  Say what?  I had to go buy us some butta!  I don't care what color bonnet that little lady is wearing, I am not a fan of all the artificial ingredients in margarine.  Give me butter . . . just cream and salt in a beautiful, creamy stick!  And for those of you who know what stewed crackers are . . . yes, I did buy Premium crackers, too.  I am set!

Now I am off to live the other part of my dream . . . cooking breakfast for 15.  And the only reason I am getting this blog done is because I thought I had my alarm set for 5:00 a.m. but it was actually 4:00 a.m. which I did not realize till I got out of the shower and was making coffee.  But, hey, I have an extra hour!

Food for thought:  We had dinner with a couple in their early 50's who are "living retirement in installments."  They live minimally and work for several years and then take time off to do what they want to do . . . like sail around the world and hiking the continental divide.  What would living retirement in installments look like for you?

One week in!

Well, it's hard to believe that only a week ago we arrived; so many things have happened since then! But first things first.  Here are a few photos of our place and the space we're calling home for the next year

View from our kitchen window - Looking West.

View of where we're living for 2016: Creekside. Kitchen window is the upper left. Bathhouse is below left. Laundry below right. Balcony on right is another apartment.

Bathhouse entrance below, our porch/entrance above.

Our Living room.

One of the Quonset huts showing all the snow!

Dusk over the Lodge

Sky High View Cabin porch.  Just one of many amazing scenes here.

Looking East over Emmental with Pikes Peak in the background!  I love the blue skies out here!

  We're still adapting to camp life and changing schedules as different events affect when we need to be "on" and when we can have time off.  For example, we both had Wednesday off, Betty worked late tonight doing the kitchen dishes since there is a scrap-booking group here, and I work all weekend until Wednesday.  Next week starting on Friday, we'll be bursting at the seams since it is Junior High Snow Camp - not enough beds for everyone so turning people away. Time is flying by!

On our day off, we drove down to Colorado Springs to shop at REI for gaiters and "traction devices" (for our shoes), to explore the area (Old North End of Colorado Springs is amazing!), and to visit a ginormous thrift store (The Arc). When we returned to the camp, we put on our new items and went for a walk in the woods.  It was an amazing experience (a first ever for me) walking through the snow covered forest floor!  I love this place!

... here's Betty ready for our walk!

Wednesday was our day off.  We purchased gaiters and "traction devices" for our shoes. Then we went for a walk in the woods!  Here I am ready to go. And...

a dead tree in the woods: Spruce beetle infestation.  Saw several Downy Woodpeckers that were working on trees; leaving debris like this.

-Jonathan
 

We Arrived!

January 8, 2016
After driving on snow covered and sometimes icy roads for over 200 miles, we made it to Estes Park to have lunch with Jonathan's brother.

Going to Estes Park

Then on to Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp, arriving there just before dark. Our warm, cozy Creekside apartment was all ready for us with the bed made and supper ready in the dining room where we had great food and conversation with staff. 

The sign to RMMC . . . almost there!  1 1/2 more miles on dirt road.  Thankful for all-wheel drive!

And the sign says . . . no worries about campfires, and yes we know it is a rough narrow road, (hopefully we won't meet another vehicle) but the last sign - no shooting beyond this point?  Hmmmm.

Uh-oh! Car ahead! But he pulled over to the side so we could squeeze by and then he got stuck!  But he was soon able to get out . . .camp is just ahead!

Ahhh, there is the lodge!

First glimpse of our apartment - top story, windows on the left.

And we are home!

A Mistical Day

From the time we left Iowa this morning until 3:00 this afternoon, we drove through dense mist and fog.  

We decided the fog was symbolic of the mystery in our journey.  Right now we are only seeing what is visible to us and not everything is clear.

Things that are not clear to us:

1. What will the specifics of our jobs/tasks be?
2. How will our routines change? Will Jonathan stop shaving and grow a big bushy beard and Betty sport a long white braid down her back? :)
3. How will we continue to stay connected to friends/family?
4. Which spiritual practices will change? Which will stay the same?
5. Will there be good chocolate nearby? (Betty)

   

   This is my chocolate stash for the trip - been saving it for weeks!

6. Who the heck decided to make Nebraska the state that never ends, and it goes on and on, my friend?!!! (Ok, now the "Song That Never Ends" is going through my head!)
7. How long will it take us to adapt to the altitude of 9,620 feet?
8. How long will it take Jonathan to adjust to new communication styles such as slower internet, no data plan, and carrying a walkie-talkie instead of a phone?
9. Does RMMC ever get snow days off?
10. Will we ever get through Nebraska?!!!  (And Jonathan LIKES Nebraska!

One thing is clear - the mountains are calling and we must go! And we trust that clarity will come in time enough.

We plan to arrive at RMMC late afternoon on Friday, January 8.  We will keep you posted!

Photos from the journey so far . . .more to come when we have more time!

Sending Bekah off to Peru for SST.  "See you in a 'little while'' were my parting words.

Our "landing" place for the week after moving out of our house on 31 December.  Thanks Mom!

Standing in the street loaded and ready to head out!

The send off breakfast with our small group. Second Timers gave us a wonderful gift: a time to focus on the joy of our collective spiritual journey and away from our individual pains.  This is just what we needed this morning!  And we will miss being together.

Lupper!  Iowa Machine Shed in Davenport, IA (The origianl "Shed")!  A family tradition of wonderful food! (especially the potato "soup" and any of the pork!

 

 

 

 

 

Resourcefulness - Dealing With Change

We are experiencing changes.  Instead of saying we can't do this or can't do that, we are choosing to find new (or should I say old?!) and different ways to do the same thing.  One change is that we now have one cell phone for both of us which is only able to be used if there is internet access or a cell tower in the area. This does not mean we can't stay in contact with family and friends - we will just do it differently.  And it is weird to share a phone with texting, etc.  Like really weird.  For example, today we were at a rest stop and I was waiting for Jonathan so thought I would just text him to see what was taking so long.  Oh wait!  I would be texting myself!

We also no longer have a data plan on our phone so we don't have GPS or ways to look up where the next Starbucks is.  We are learning we just have to plan ahead more.  We also use this nifty gadget

A Compass!!

And then there are always these antiquated things that we found in the car door pocket:

And instead of texting or emailing, there are always letters.  Say what???!!!  We have a bet going about who will send us our first letter.  Hmmmmm.